Tooth-brush.



\ respect to its more specific features, to

f provision of a practical device of the char- Y ments and arrangementof parts which will brush member mayl'- fand disconnected UNITED STATES?AENT oEErcE.

I JAMES'A. WATT, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSGNOB TO A. S. GUSTAFSON, 0FLOWELL,

MASSACHUSETTS.

TOOTH-BRUSH.

Speoication of Letters Patent.

1912. SerialNo. 712,846.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. Wn'rr, a subject of the King of England,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth- Brushes, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as w1ll enable others skilled in the art to which 1t appertains to make anduse the same. 0

This invention relates to brushes, and with brushes adapted to enter themouth, such as tooth-brushes.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a simple andpractical device ofthe character described and wherein the be readilyconnected to,

om, the brush-holding or handle member.

Another object of the invention is the acter described admitting of theconnecting and disconnecting of the brush and handle while preservingthe continuous smooth character of the part adapted to enter the mouth.I

Another object of the invention is the provision of an efficient deviceof the character referred to and wherein the brush member and the handlema be automatically interlocked by the use o sim le devices.

Other objects will be in part o vious and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of'elebe exemplified` in the construction hereinafter setforth, and the' scope of the application of which will beindlcated inthe following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, and wherein similarI reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views of the drawings,-F1gure 1 isa central longitudinal section through the brush and holder, on line 11, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan view looking at the back of the implement;andFig. 3 is a detailshowing one of the retaining jaws.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the brush membercomprises an elongated bristle support or back 1, to which the ri'stles2 are attached in any ecient size as to clear said slots. Thel-` Il back1 is provided with a clamps slee portlon, preferably a concav1ty 5, forapurpose hereinafter described.

The brush-holding member H.comprises a handle 6 of any' sultablematerial,`v 'having a slot 7 in one end into which is driven andPatented Apr. 22, ,1913.

cemented one end of a cylindrical connecting pin 8, the other end ofsaid pin being soldered in a tubular portion 9 of a-preferably metallicmember 10 forming an extension of said handle. It will, of course, beunderstood that the handle 6 and member '10 may be connected in anyother eiHcient manner.

The member 10 clam ingjaws 11 and 12, between which the brus member isremovablyheld, the extension 13 of the member 10 servingto su port andconnect said jaws, and with them orming a seat for the brush member. Thejaw 12 preferably comprises a pin adapted to move back and forth in thetubular portion 9, being provided with a shoulder 14 to limit itsoutward movement, a spring 15 being interposed between the end of saidjaw pinV and the pin 8 and` operating to yieldingly maintain the jaw 12or end of the pin in-its outer position but permitting said Jaw to beagainst the resistance. of

thrust lnwardly said spring. f The jaw 11 is preferably xed to theextension 13 and projects at an angle thereto, and in the presentembodiment is of such a slze as to pass through the erforation 4 Jaw 11is enlarged toward its outer end, preferably by the provisionof a lug 16progecing toward the jaw 12 providing a catch member adapted to engagethe lower surface of the back 1, said lug being provided with aninclined surface 17, tending, when the brush is pressed thereagainst bythe jaw 12, to seat the brush back against the eXtension. 13.Preferably, the extension or connectlon 13 is rigid, forming, in effect,a tension or brace member connecting the jaw 11 is providedwith spacedsol in the back of the brush mem er. Andl the m0" with the membercarrying the jaw 12.' Inv applying the brush member to the handle.

.the back 1 is applied against the jaw 12,

which latter has preferably a conical end, said end being adapted toseat in the oon-.f cavity 5 of the back. The brush member is thenpressed toward the handle, causing the j aw'12 to recede against theresistance of the spring 15, whereupon the opening 4 will register withthe end of the fixed jaw 11, which latter may thenlbe 'passedfthroughsaid opening. The strength offthe resilient' member or'spring 15 issufficient to maintain the brush member in contact with the jaw -11under such strains as may be'encountered in' use, the =lug 16 positivelypreventing the' brush member from being withdrawn from the jaw 11.without compressing the spring 15 and the linclined surface 17 causingthe brush back to befirmly seated against 'the brace 13.

Inasmuch as a tooth-brush'necessarily'contacts with the delicatesurfaces of the mouth and lips, it is highly important that a smoothandy regular surface be preserved throughout the brush; a surface freefrom roughness `and abrupt, projecting portions. In the present.embodiment, the member 13 extends exteriorly and longitudinally of theback 1 from one end thereof, and terminates inter mediate theends of theback and preferably at such a point that its end does not enter themouth at all when the front teeth are being cleaned. The fmember 13 ismade as -t-hrn as will comport .with proper strength, so 'that itaddsvery little to the thicknessof the brush, and in the presentembodimentits outer surface is transversely rounded and smoothly merges into theupper surface of the :back 1. The member 13 is preferably narrower thanthe width -of 'the brush so as .-not to encroach upon the smooth,preferably straight lateral edges of the brush back, thelateral edges ofsald 'member 13being within, and spaced from, the lateral edges of thebrush back. When the brush is retained between the j aws in the mannerbefore eX- plained, lateral movement of the'brush in the plane of theback is resisted by the fjaw 11 and the interlocking of the jaw pin 12with 'the concavity 5, and rocking movement the brush member.

ber is. attached to the handle member it is heldby the clampingjaws, andin order to detach the members the brush member may lbe moved toward thejaw 12 substantially in the' line of the direction of pressure, or

above-described construction a removable f brush member and yholderl are:provided wherein a simple character 'of 'the' `brush member -ispreserved. Merely 'by 'the-f ovision of a faw'seat'or openin intenme'ate the ends o the back of the` nah, an'eiiicient and secure fasteningdevice -is pro.- vided. Thus, by the labo vie-.lesczribed -constructionis accomplished, .among fathers, the objects hereinbefore stated.

As many changes could bbe made in the above construction and 4many Aarently widely different embodiments Io 1thus invention could be kmadewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matterycontained in the' above description yor shown in the aeeo ings shallbe-intenpreted as-lllustrative-.and not in a limitin sense.

It is also to lunderstood .thatlthe langua e used in the followingclaims isV inten ed to cover all of the generic'` and spes-v cie,featuresof lthe,v inyention herein described. and allstatemenisioflthescope'of the invention, which, as a matter of language,mi ht be said to fall therebetween.

aving described my invention, what I' claim as v*new and to-edeure by::Letters Patent is.: i

1. Ina device' -of the 'character described, 'inncombinatiom a handlememberacomprising clamping jaws, a brushvmembevcom rising a clamp seatintermediate its ends a apt- =ed to be engaged 'by-'one ofysai'd jaws,and zmeans permitting relative movement betweensaid members in thelineof'the clamping axis, whereby vsaid members :may be attached ordetached;

2. In a device ofthe character described, in combination, ahandle-member comprisany'mg' drawelos ing clamping jaws, a -brush membercomv prislngv a clamp seat intermediateits ends and sides adaptedftobeengaged by 'one of said jaws, andrmeans permitting relativel movementbetweenasaid members 1n the iline of the clamping-axis,wherebysadmembers may be -asttaehed vor detached.

. jaws,

3. AIn a device of the character described, in combination, a-handlevmember comprising clampin jaws which resiliently coper# ate, and atgietachable brush member comprising aback having an opening of a sizeadapted to receive one of said 'aws and per mit movement of the jaw in te line of the clamping axis. l Y.

4. In a device of the character described,

'11i combination, a handle member comprising `ing a brace, clamping jawscarriedby the brace, means adapted to relatively move the jaws to brushmember retaining position, a

brush member,` adapted to be removably retamed by said jaws andcomprising a back -thelateral ed es of which are spaced from the sidesof t e brace, said bac havin a clamp seat intermediate its ends adapteto 30 be engaged by one ofthe clamping aws.

' A6. `In a device'o the character escribed, in combination, a handlemember comprising a ixed'clampin jaw projectin at an angle to thelongltu inalextent citi dle, a second clamping jaw, resilient meansadapted to ress the second jaw toward the irst, and a rush memberadapted to be removaby retained by said jaws comprising av back havingan .openin ends adapted to enga e t e iixed jaw, and a concavity in itsend ace adapted to be enl' gaged by the second jaw. *l

In testimony whereof Iafix my signature, in the presence of twoAwitnesses.

p y .mams A.' WATT; Witnesses: H. M. Sambre,

J. W. Aivnrmsois.'

chan- 3o intermediate its 4cv

